Folding machine



Dec 29. 1931. J. E. M lNTn-(E FOLDING MACHINE Filed Feb. 12, 1929 Dec. 29, 1931. Iii-E. M INTIRE QFOLDIN MACHINE Filed Feb. 12. ,19j29 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 N a U mm m n\ t m m. N 5 N R I q m 7 4 W1 2 n QQN. m- L NN Q k MN Rn \QN m W K P w N \W M w ..\W \fi a h m a n lll 0 "w! w mm w H H 0 mm 1 h o O R I I 4 I I I O mai 1 1 231.3 NQ 1 R mm. m Qws R Q 9 N Patented Dec; 29, 1931 UNITEDFSTATEIS PATENT OFFICE JAMES ERNEST Mcm'rmnorrEABonY, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR To unrTnn snon MAGHINERY CORPORATION, JERSEY 0F PATTERSON; NEXV JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW FOLDING MACHINE Application filed mate 12, 1929. seri l no; 339,345.

' This invention relates to folding machines, and is herein illustrated as embodied in a machine particularly adapted to fold the mar ginsjat the corners ofthe cover of a case for a book over the roundedcorners of the boards thereof. 1

In the manufacture of round cornered book cases the unfolded caseis commonly pressed against the horizontal surface of a round cornered work table with the round corner of the board in registered with the round corner of the tableand with the projecting margin of the cover lying'upon an edge guide or other member which fits about the round'corner of the table and the upper face of which is flush with that of the table. Relative movement between the table and theedge guide is then caused to take place in a vertical direction so as to bend the margin of the cover up into'a substantially vertical position preparatory to being folded over upon the margin of the board. 1 When the relative vertical movement between the edge guide and the table takes place, for example when the table with the work upon it'is depressed below the level of the edge guide, there is atendency due tothe friction between the vertical faceof the edge guide and the ed e of the workwhich drags down {over said face, to lift the corner portion of the work from the work table, and to hold it in its somewhat bent-up position at the endof the downward movement of the work and the work table.

According to one feature of the present invention, means are provided for ensuring that the corner portion of the workshall be pressed down firmly at all points upon the work table before the folder operates; The

- illustrated machine is of the type disclosed in Letters Patent No. 1,7 7 6,390, granted upon an application filed in the names of Perley Glass and James E. McIntire and has a forming block whic is moved into position over the corner portion of the board prior to the operation of the folder. In order to ensure that the corner portion of the work shall always lie flat upon the work supporting table, prior to the operation of the folder, means are provided for engaging the forming block and through it pressing the corner portion of the work firmly upon the table if said portion does not already occupy that position.

This and other. features of the invention including certain details of construction and combinations of parts will be described -as embodied in an illustrated machine and pointed out in the appended claims. Referring now to the accompanying drawmgs, I j j Fig. '1 is a perspective of a portion of a folding machine in which the present invention is embodied; f c 1 Figs. 2 to 5 inclusive are views partly in section and partly in elevation showing successive stages in the folding ofthe' margin at the corner of the cover of a book case over the rounded cornerof a board thereof by means of the m'achine'shown in Fig. 1; and

' Fig. 6 is a view partly'in section and partly in elevation showing a modified construction."

"Before proceeding to a description of what is new, a brief description of what is old will be given. The machine comprises two folding mechanisms,.one "for folding straight edges andone'for folding round corners, the

the operative face of which corresponds to the V outline'of the adjacent portion of; the table At this time, that is when the maohineis at rest, the presser mechanism, which includes the forming block 11 the forming'plate 13 andfthe presser feet 15, is in raised position. These presser feet are carried'at the outer ends of bent stems, the inner ends of which are held'by pinch. screws, one of which is shown at 17 in sockets formed in brackets, one of which is ing vertically adjustable upon blocks '21, the

last-named blocksbeing fast to the outer end of'a'narm 23, the rear end of which (not shown at 19, said brackets be- The forming by thearm 23.

\ withdrawn (Fig. 5)

" other piece of work.

shown) is mounted upon a horizontal pivot so that the arm may be swung up to permit the work to be placed upon the table 7 and then swung down into the position shown to cause the work to be pressed against the table 7.

plate 13 is fast to of an arm 25 the upper end of which has a justably fastened to the rod by a pinch-bolt 29. A screw 31, the inner end of which abuts a block 33, fastened to the rod 27 by a pincln bolt 35, provides means for adjusting the arm 25 along the rod 27 when the pinch-bolt 29 has been loosened. The rod 27 is slidable through bearings end,.not shown,.is. engaged by a cam (also not shown) which pushes, it forward and back at the proper times. The forming block; 11 is carried in a manner, presently to be described, A wiper or folder 37,, having two straight edges connected by a curved edge, the curvature of which is somewhat more abrupt than that, of the curved corner of the table 7, is adapted to be reciprocated', at

. the proper times in a horizontal path by mechanism not shown.

Assuming now that the machine is at rest with. the arm 23 in raised position, the upper surface of the table 7 flush with the upper surface of the edge guide 9, and the folder 37 in its withdrawn position, the corner portion of a piece of work is placed upon the table 7 with the margin of thecover projecting over the edge guide 9. Commonly the four. straight edge portions of the cover have previously been folded up to within short distances from the corners so that only the corner portions of the cover remain unfolded. The arm 23 is now swung down until it reaches the positlon shown in Figs. 1 to 5 and in this swinging movement, the presser feet 15,. the forming plate 13 and the forming block 11 depress the work and the table, as best shown in Figs. 2 and 3,. so as to cause the margin of the cover 200 to be bent up about the ad acent edge of the board 100. The rod 27 is moved to the left (Fig. 4) to cause the forming plate 13 to be moved until its rounded end is in register with the rounded corner of the board 100.

- The folder 37 is then advanced and in this advance first gathers the margin at the corner of the cover about the forming block 11 and. then folds the margin down fiat over the forming plate 13. The forming plate is then and the table 7 is pushed up by mechanism (not shown) to press the fold against the under side ofthe folder; The parts of the machine then return to their normal positions of rest ready to receive an- The machine,- as thus far described, except for the construction and mounting of the forming block is or may be the same as the machine of thepatent re ferred to above, and no further description of its olddetails of construction will be given.

in the arm 23, and its rear The forming block 11 is substantially semispherical, its stem being threaded into a boss on the under side of an arm 39 and held in place by a lock nut. The arm is pivoted at 41 to a block 43, said block having in its upper face a dove-tailed groove to receive a suitably shaped rib formed upon the under side of a bracket 45 and being held in adjusted position upon said rib by a. pinch screw 47. The bracket 45- is carried by the blocks 21, which, as has been explained, are fast to the arm 23, said bracket 45 (Fig. 1) having a bore through which the rod 27 is slidable. The arm 39 (Figs. 2 to 5) is urged at all times to swing ina: clockwise direction about its pivot 4:1 by a plunger 49 which is mounted in 'a bore in the arm and is acted upon by a compression spring 51, said spring being held between the plunger and a screw A stop screw 54, which is threaded through an extension of the block 43, is located in position to limit the extent to which the springpressed plunger 49 may swing the arm about its pivot41. The top of the arm 39 is formed as a track upon which a roll may run to cause the arm to swing down about its pivot, said track having a portion 57 which is normally substantially horizontal and an inclined portion 59 leading up to the horizontal portion.

The roll 55 is rotatably mounted at the lower end of an arm 61 which is pivoted at 63 to the block 33 described above as being fast to the slide rod 27. A compression spring 65, located between-a part of the arm 61 and. an overhanging lug 133 of the block 33, normally holds the arm in a position determined by a stop-screw 67 which is threaded through a lug on the block 33. When the arm 23 is swung down to work table below the level of the edge guide 9, the edge of the work drags down over the vertical face of the edge guide, and there is thus a tendency that the corner portion of the work may be lifted more or less from the surface of the table as shown in Fig. 2. Th folder 37 has not yet begun its folding, and before it does begin, the work should be flat upon the table.

y In order to flatten the work, in case the corner in Fig. 2, the sliding movement of the rod. 27 is utilized. After the arm 23 has been brought down, as described above, the. rod 27 is moved to the left,.as has been explained. so as to cause the left-hand rounded end of the forming plate 13 to register with the rounded corner of the board. During the first part of this movement theroll 55 rides up. the incline 59 and thereby swings the arm 39 down to causethe forming. block to push the extreme corner of the work down upon the table 7, as shown in Fig. 3. Inasmuch as the folder 37 will presently move to the right beneath the forming block 11, the formdepress the work and the 3 portion is somewhat bent up as shown ing block must then be permitted to rise. To this end, the rod 27 continues its movement to the left, the roll runs along surfaee57 into the position shownin Fig.- A: in which the arm 39, which carriesthe forming lock 11, may swing up when urged to do so. The folder 37 now moves to the right. During the first part of this movement. it gathers the upstanding margin at the corner ofthe cover about the forming block, as shown in Fig. 4, and then it bends the margin over upon the forming plate. During this folding operation themargin of the cover is gripped frictionally between the forming block and the folder and is pulled tightly into place. The forming plate is now withdrawn, as shown in Fig. 5, and then the table 7. pushed up to press the fold against the under side of the folder 37. Thereafter the parts return to their original positions in readiness to receive another piece of work. 1

It should be noted that the mounting of the arm 61, which carries the roll 55, is such that, when the rod 27 is moved to the left as shown in Fig. 3, the roll exerts an unyielding downward push upon the arm 39, which carries the forming block 11, with the result that, if the corner portion of the work has occupied the position shown in Fig. 2,,it will be pressed firmly down upon the table 7, as shown in Fig. 3. It should also be noted that the mounting of the arm 61 permits the folder,

. when it is later advanced, to swing the forming block upward, as shown in Fig. 5. During this upward movement of the forming block and the subsequent movement-to the right of the rod 27 to withdraw the forming plate from beneath thefolded-over margin of the work, the arm 61swings to the left about its pivot 63 in opposition to the force of the spring 65. By the mechanism which has been described, the forming block is depressed, if depression is necessary, so that its lower face is always brought into a position at a predetermined distance above the table, this distance being such that the corner portion of the work is pressed against the table.

Although in the illustrated construction, a forming plate has been shown which is slid over the work until its round corner registers with the round corner of the board, it should be understood that such a plate is not necessary if the board 100 is thick and stiff so that it will itself aht as'a satisfactory form or template over which the margin of the cover may be folded. 1

In Fig. 6, there is shown a modification of the invention. The arm 23, the rod 27 ,the folder 37, the edge guide 9, the table 7 and the forming plate 13 are the same as those which have been describe-din Figs. 1 to 5 and have the same movements. The forming plate is fast to the bottom of an arm 71 which has a bore to receive the rod 27 r and is adj ustably r fastened to the rod by a pinch bolt, not

shown). A screw bolt 73, which is rotatable in a lug on the arm but held from longitudinal movement with respectthereto and is threaded into a block 75 fast to the arm 27, furnishes means for adjusting the arm 71 along the rod. The forming block 77, which is shaped somewhat differently from the forming block 11, and its. carrier 79 are integrah Fast at one end in the carrier 79 is a slender rod 81 which passes loosely through a bore in a member 83 and is surrounded by a coiled spring 85 which tends at all times to hold the forming block in its extreme left-hand position, as shown in Fig. 6, this position being determined by a stop 87 on a small rod 89 which passes loosely through the member 83 and is threaded through the forming block carrier. The member 83 is pivoted at 84 between the arms of a fork at the lower end of the arm 71 and is yieldingly held in the position shown by a tension spring 86 and a stop screw 88. As

thus far described, the machine is or may be substantially the same as that disclosed in the patent which has been referred to above,

and its mode of operation is as follows: The arm 23 is brought down to depress the work and the work table so as to cause the margin of the cover 200 to be bent up against the edge guide 9. The rod 27 then moves to the left to cause the round end of the forming plate 13 to be moved into register with the round corner of the board and the forming block 77 moves with the forming plate into the position shown in Fig. 6. Next the folder 37 moves to the right; During the first part of this movement it gathers the margin of the cover about the forming block (this being the position .of parts shown in Fig. 6) and, during the latterpar't of this movement, it folds the margin ofthe cover 1 over upon the board. In this latter part of the movement, a block 91 on the folder engages the end of the rod 89 so that the forming block 77 is pushed along by the folder. The extent to which this rod extends beyond the carrier 79 may be varied, by mechanism shown in the patent referredtoabove,without affecting the normal position of the forming block so that the force with which the upstanding margin is frictionally gripped be tween the folder and the forming blockmay be predetermined. After the fold is made. the forming plate 13 is withdrawn and the table 7 raised to press the fold, whereupon the parts return to their initial positions. A

When, at the beginning of the operation of the machine, the arm 23 swings down to cause the forming plate 13 to engage the work and to depress the work and the work table 7, it may happen that the frictional drag of the edge of the body portion of the work down the vertical face of the edge guide 9 may offer so much resistance that the corner portion of the work is bent up somewhat; and this bent-up condition may remain even after the forming plate 13 has been moved to the left, since the forming plate very thin and somewhat springy. In order to ensure that the extreme corner of the work shall be pressed firmly down upon the table '1', a roll 93 is adapted to engage the top 0 the forming block carrier 79. This roll is rotatably mounted at the lower end of an arm 95 having a split hub which is fastened to the rod 27 by a pinch screw 97. With this construction, if the extreme corner portion of the work is not pressed firmly down upon the table 7 when the arm 23 is swung down, it will be so pressed when the subsequent sliding movement of the rod 27 moves the forming plate and the forming block to the left into the position shown, since the roll. 93, which is at all times in I ment with the top of the forming block cai .ier will prevent the forming block and the forward end of the forming plate from rising, and will thereby ensure that the corner portion of the Work lies flat upon the work table.

The illustrated machine, except as to certain structure which has been pointed out, is substantially the same the nachine shown in the patent to which reference been made.

Although the invention has been set forth as embodied in a particular machine, it should be understood that the invention is not limited in the scope of its application to the particular machine which has been shown and described.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A round corner folding machine having, in combination, a folder, a work table, a memher movable to press the work against the table, and means becoming efiective after the completion of the pressing movement of the member for ensuring that the corner portion of the work shall be pressed firmly against the table.

2. A round corner folding machine having, in combination,a folder, a work table, a member movable to press the work against the table, and means becoming eficctive after the completion of the pressingmovement of the member for pressing the corner portion of the work firmly against the table.

3. A round corner folding machine having. in combination, a folder for bending the margin of the work over the body portion there-- of, an edge guide, work table, means for pressing the work against the table and for causing relative movement between the edge gpide and the table to bend up the margin of the work against the edge guide, and means becoming effective after the completion of said relative movement for ensuring that the corner portion of the Work is pressed firmly against the table.

at. A round corner folding machine having,

in combination, a folder for bending the margin of the Work over the body portion thereof, an edge guide, a work table, a pressing member, means for causing relative movement between the pressing member and the table first to depress the work and the table and then to cause the pressing member to be moved toward the corner of the body portion of the work, and means acting during the second movement to ensure that the corner portion of the body of the work is pressed firmly against the table.

5. A round corner folding machine having, in combination, a folder for bending the m ar gin of the work over the body portion thereof, an edge guide, a work table, a pressing member, means for moving the member first downward to depress the work and the table so as to cause the margin of the work to be bent up and then over the work toward the corner of the body portion thereof, and means becoming operative during said second movement to ensure that the corner portion of the body of the work is pressed firmly against the table.

6. A round corner folding machine having, in combination, a work table, a folder for bending the margin of the work over upon the body portion thereof, a forming block which co-operates with the folder, means for n'ioving the forming lock into a position above the corner portion of the work, and means, acting before the operation of the folder, for ensuring that the forming block shall occupy a position in which it is located at a. predetermined distance above the work table so that the corner of the body portion of the work may without fail be pressed firmly against the work table before the folding operation takes place 7. A round corner folding machine having, in, combination, a folder, a work table, an edge guide, a forming block, a forming plate, means for moving the forming plate first downwardly into contact with the work and then along the surface of the work, and a roll movable with the forming plate and arranged to act upon the forming block.

8. A round corner folding machine having, in combination, a folder, a forming block, a work table, an edge guide, a forming plate, a forming plate carrier, means for moving the forming plate carrier to cause the forming plate to engage the work, and means mounted upon the forming plate carrier for acting upon the forming block to ensure its depression.

9. A round corner folding machine having, in combination, a workt-able, a folder for bending the margin of the work over the body portion thereof, means including a forming block for pressing the work against the table, a forming block carrier, and a member movable in a path substantially I beneath the forming block the forming plate parallel to the work supporting surface of the table for engaging the forming block carrier from above.

1 0. A round corner folding machine having, in combination, a folder for bending the margin over the body portion of the work, a work table, pressing means including a forming block, means for bringing said means down upon the work to press the body portion of the work against the table, said block being so mounted that it may yield upwardly, and means acting to depress the forming block.

11. A round corner folding mechanism having, in combination, a work table, a folder, a forming block, a yieldingly mounted car'- rier upon which the forming block is mounted, means for moving the carrier to cause the forming block to descend upon the work, means operating first to advance the folder and then to withdraw the folder, and means for positively depressing the forming block prior .to the advance of the folder and for subsequently releasing the forming block to permit said block to yield upwardly.

12. A round corner folding machine, having, in combination, a work table, a folder, mechanism including a forming block and a plate for pressing the work against the table, a carrier for said mechanism, means for moving the carrier toward the table to cause the forming block and the plate to press the work against the table, means for thereafter moving the plate over the work toward the forming block, and means acting during such movement to depress the block.

13. A round corner folding machine having, in combination, a work table, a folder, a forming plate, means ing plate down upon the work at a locality spaced from the corner of the work and for thereafter moving the forming plate over the surface of the work toward said corner, and means for exerting pressure upon the end of to ensure that the corner portion of the work shall lie flat upon the table.

1 A round corner folding machine, having, in combination, a work table, a folder, means for reciprocating the folder and a forming block between which and the folder the margin of the work is gripped, the oper ative face of the forming block being spherical.

15. A round corner folding machine having, in combination, a work table, a folder, a forming block, means for moving the forming bloc; toward the table and other means for preventing the forming block from rising during the operation of the folder.

16. A round corner folding machine having, in combination, a folder for bending the margin of the-work over the body portion thereof, an edge guide, a work table, a pressing member, means for causing relative moveof the work,'and means including a member tableso as to cause themargin of-the work for bringing the form-- mentbetwe'en the pressing member and the table first todepress the work and the table and then to cause the pressing member to be moved toward the corner of the body portion slidably mounted upon the pressing member acting during the second movement to ensure that the corner portion of the body of the work is pressed firmly against the table.

17. A round corner folding machine having, in combination, a folder for bending the marginof the workover the body-portion thereof, an edge guide,-a work table, a pressing member,meansv for moving the member first downward to depress the work and the to be bent up and then over the work toward the corner ofthe bodyportion thereof, and means including a member slidably mounted upon the pressing member becoming operative during said second movement to ensure that the cornerportion of the body of the work is pressed firmly against the table.

18. Around corner folding'machine having, in combination, a folder, a work table, an edge guide,-a forming plate, a forming block mounted on the forming plate,' means for moving the forming plate and forming blockfirst downwardly until the forming plate presses against the work and then along the i surface of. the .work, and a roll movable with the forming plate and the forming block and arranged to 'act upon the forming block.

l 19. A round corner folding machine having, in combination, a folder, a forming block, a worktabl'e an edge guide, a forming plate, a forming plate carrier, means'for moving the forming plate carrier to cause the forming .plate to engage the work, and means mounted upon-the forming plate carrier "and in contact at all times with the forming block for acting uponthe :forming block to ensure its depression. l

.20. A round corner folding machine having, in combination, a work table, a folder for bending the margin of the work over the body portion thereof," means including a forming block slidably mounted for movement in the same direction as the folder for pressing the work against the table, a form- 1 ing block carrier, and a member movable in a path substantially parallel to the work supporting surface of the table for engaging the forming block carrier from above.

21. A round corner folding machine hava carrier for the forming plate mov- 1 22. A round corner folding machine having, in combination, a Work table, a folder, a forming block, a member in which the forming block is slidably mounted, means for first moving said member down todepress the work and the table and for thereafter moving the forming block over the Work into a posi tion adjacent to the corner portion thereof, and means rigid with said member for engaging the forming block.

23. A round corner folding machine having, in combination, a folder, a work table, a forming plate, a forming plate carrier, means for moving the carrier to cause the forming plate to press the work against the table, and means becoming effective after this pressing movement for ensuring that the corner portion of the work shall be pressed firmly againstthe table, said last-named means in eluding a forming block slidably mounted on the forming plate carrier.

24. A round corner folding machine having, in combination, a folder, an edge guide, a work table, a forming plate, a forming plate carrier, means for causing relative movement between the table and the carrier in a directien to cause the work to be pressed against "the table and the margin of the work to be bent up against the edge guide, and means becoming effective after this pressing movement forensuring that the corner portion of the work shall be pressed firmly against the table, said, last-named means including a forming block slidably m-ountedon the forming plate carrier.

25. A round corner folding machine having, in combination, a work table, a reciprocating folder adapted to beadvanced and withdrawn, a forming block adapted to be brought down upon the Work, and means for positively depressing the block prior to the advance of the folder to press the Work unyieldingly against the Work table and for thereafter permitting the block to yield away from the work.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

JAMES ERNEST MCINTIRE. 

